This obviously cannot be done with the means of the woman- cut-in-two magic trick, so it needs to be using some other device, which we will soon discover in the proposals by you, the readers of this idea.

The people in the story lived circa 150 or 200 CE but it is not clear when the story was actually recorded and it may be as late as the year 700, where it is referred to in dated commentary.

Here's the text in Aramaic and my transliteration and translation of it:

Amar l-ay Rav Le Rabb-i Hiyya:
Said to him Master to My-master Hiyya:

Le Di-ydee Haz-ee Li Ha-hoo Taya-a
To of-myhands saw-I the-him Taian-the
I myself have seen that Taian

di-shakl-ay le-Safsir-a
that-took-him to-bench-the
that took a bench

ve-guy-day le-Gamal-a
and-cut-him to-Camel-the
and cut the camel

ve-taraf lay be-tabl-a
and-hit him in-table-the
and hit him with/on the table

ve-kam
and-stood
and stood up

amar lay: le-batar ha-ki dam u-partha mi hawai?
said him: to-after the-cause - blood and-filth who was?
He said: there blood and filth left after that?

el-la ahiz-ath ena-y-im huw-a.
to-not now-hold-ing eye-pair-s he-the
to the contrary it was an illusion of the eye.

______________________

ella (literally to-not) means BUT or TO-THE-CONTRARY
huw-a (literally he-the) means IS.
The Taiya tribe roams the southern Sinai desert and camps at times in the desert areas of eastern Jordan, Syria and southern Iraq.
-- pashute, Nov 19 2020

Snake charming https://www.cs.mcgi.../Snake_charming.htm
One occasional feat is "turning a rod into a serpent", a trick that has been known since Biblical times (see Exodus 7:12). This is reportedly accomplished by putting pressure on a particular nerve behind the snake's head, which causes it to stiffen up [pashute, Dec 08 2020]

Are bench and table synonymous?
-- zen_tom, Nov 19 2020


First, you get two midget camels...
-- RayfordSteele, Nov 19 2020


Given the apparent level of detail of the source, and quality of your translation, I'm thinking this was probably a trivial trick by today's standards.
Taian had some prop of trick bench or table which the camel appeared to intersect with.
Perhaps as simple as the "arrow through the head" or "nail through the finger" trick.
-- Loris, Nov 20 2020


Duh
Duh
DAHHH!
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 21 2020


//turning a rod into a serpent and back again.//

I saw this in a documentary "Conan the Barbarian". Well, something similar - making arrows.
The trick is to hold the snake by the head and run your hand down the snake's body, speaking the word of power "seeek".
This stiffens up the snake nicely, and it can then be fired from a bow quite a long way - apparently with some target-seeking abilities. It turns back into a snake on arrival at its destination.

Of course you'd need a bigger snake to make a walking stick.
-- Loris, Nov 22 2020


//it can then be fired from a bow//

Unless it has a forked tail, how is it nocked on to the string?
-- pertinax, Nov 23 2020


//Unless it has a forked tail, how is it nocked on to the string//

That was one of my questions, it wasn't clear to me from the footage... maybe a sabot?
If you made the effort to do a bit of preparation you could also fletch your snakes.
-- Loris, Nov 23 2020


Train a camel to move into unusual body position on specific touch. Use a cutting implement that changes shape to look embedded A blood leak pouch in the blade may add a dimension.

Use environmental factors to blur the realisation of a projection of guts/anatomy on weird body position. A lotion on the skin, of specific light qualities, could help with image reflection.

Lay cloth over top. Say Allah-peanut- butter- sandwhiches. Cloth wipes fake blood, and all is right again.
-- wjt, Nov 23 2020


+ for creative effort
-- xenzag, Nov 23 2020


//sabot// sp. julbah

That was a good documentary. They also showed how to deal with camels - just punch them in the face.
-- spidermother, Nov 23 2020


// This is reportedly accomplished by putting pressure on a particular nerve behind the snake's head, which causes it to stiffen up //

Right.

You wouldn't happen to have any figures on how many people died of snakebite before they found exactly the right nerve to press, as opposed to the others that just make the snake extremely angry ?

"What are you up to today ?"

"Well, I thought I might try squeezing some snakes to see if I can find a pressure point that makes them go rigid"

"Ah, right. Well, let me know how it goes. I was sorry to hear about your brother, by the way."

"We're all very upset, yes, but on the plus side we now know one more pressure point on the 'makes snakes extremely angry' list".
-- 8th of 7, Dec 08 2020


You could start by practising on earthworms, and when you get confidence you could move up to slow-worms. I'm sure that's what Conan did in all his spare time as a child.
-- pocmloc, Dec 08 2020



random, halfbakery